WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2009

Around our neighborhood, it takes a village to get our children to and from school. Because some parents have to be at work before the school day begins, some kids stay with other families until the school bus picks them up. After school, some children...

MONDAY, SEPT. 28, 2009

I try to mind my own business, but every once in a while, I can’t help but say something on the playground when a kid gets pushy or aggressive – especially with other kids. Even when the child is not my own. Sometimes the parent...

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 2009

So. It's my son's 10th birthday and he's having his first sleepover.Except. One of his friends has never been allowed to spend the night away from home. That's cool. Not all kids are ready for sleepovers at 10. But he so wanted to stay.Yet this...

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2009

HolaWe’re an interracial family but since our kids are so little, we have never had an in-depth conversation about race. And to be honest, I really wouldn’t know where to start. But the topic has come up. While drawing and coloring one day, my son,...

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20, 2009

It’s sometimes hard to compete with screen time – whether it’s a TV show, an interactive website or video games. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids under the age of 6 watch an average of about two hours of screen media a day. Kids...

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16, 2009

If a child is spanked at 12 months, he or she is more likely to show aggression as a toddler, according to a recent study conducted at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University. Researchers found that the children who were spanked...

SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 2009

During a trip to Alaska this summer, I became paranoid of bears. Part of it had to do with an incident last summer involving a 15-year-old cyclist who was mauled by a bear during a bike race. It also didn’t help to wake up one...

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9, 2009

If your kids enjoy wildlife and being outdoors, you might consider taking part in “Picnic with the Beavers,” a free, educational event at Liberty Lake County Park on Sunday, Sept. 20. Hosted by the Lands Council, the 2 ½ hour-long gathering includes an easy hike...

MONDAY, SEPT. 7, 2009

I’m not really sure what I did before having children. I know I had lots of fun and did a bit of traveling, but looking back, it’s not clear to me anymore what I did with all my free time. I know I read a...

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2, 2009

Sleep remains elusive at my house. My kids are 3 and 5 and even though they start off in their own beds each night, they often end up with mom and dad (or with mom, and dad having to move to one of their beds)...

This blog is intended to provide a forum for parents to share knowledge and resources. It's a place for parents young and old to combine their experiences raising families into a collective whole to help others.